Confessions of a Potterhead
by helotastic
Summary: Meet Susan. Susan is absolutely in love with the Harry Potter series. Her great aunt is hell bent on destroying all traces of this "evil, satanic fad that corrupts the minds of young children." How far should you go to fight for what you love?
1. The Last Thing I Need

Chapter 1: The Last Thing I Need

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><p>My bedroom was one of those rooms where anyone could walk in and feel right at home.<p>

You know what I mean: simple but sophisticated furniture, pretty wallpaper, and that whole overall cozy feeling.

If I had had a sibling, we probably would have fought over it (Doesn't everyone want a round room in a tower?), but I didn't, so my parents let me have it without even needing to beg.

The window looking out into the front yard featured a comfy window seat complete with pillows and a homemade blanket, and the walls were hung with seven framed pictures.

Seven large versions of the cover art on each Harry Potter book, linked together with fake gold chains.

It doesn't sound like it, but the whole Luna-Lovegood-inspired display made the pale blue walls of my room even homier. Sort of like Ravenclaw tower…

"Susan? We have something to tell you, honey," my mum (British terms are prettier than American words) called up the stairs.

I leaned over the banister. "What?"

"Could you come downstairs?"

"We're not moving, are we?"

"Please get down here first."

"Oh, Merlin," I mumbled. "We're moving."

"No, no, nothing like that," my dad boomed. The first thing people usually think when they see my dad is "big" and "friendly". Personally, I think he's Hagrid's Muggle equivalent. He kissed me on the forehead and headed out the door whistling cheerfully, his briefcase swinging.

I sat down and poured myself some orange juice. "Well?"

My mum pulled up a chair next to me. "Your great aunt called this morning, and-"

_Spwoosh._

I choked on my orange juice and accidentally sprayed some all over the table.

The last time my great aunt called, I was tortured through a month of ballet lessons, which she had insisted would make me be "more dignified and ladylike."

Ladylike, my arse. All the other girls in the class were about five years younger than me and the teacher was too much like Fleur Delacour for my taste.

"Your great aunt called," she repeated, giving me the evil-mother-glare-of-death, "and apparently she sprained her ankle."

"What a pity."

"She's staying with us for a few months while she recuperates."

I stood up. "What?"

"Sit down, Susan," she said tiredly. "It's only a few months."

Easy for you to say, I thought. You're not the one who's used as a bossy old lady's punching bag/doll/torture victim/personal servant.

In the words of the great Rupert Grint: bloody hell.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading the first chapter! Please leave a review to brighten my day.<strong>


	2. Something Wicked This Way Comes

**Thanks to all my readers and reviewers!**

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><p><span>Chapter 2: Something Wicked This Way Comes<span>

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><p>"Oh, darling, how nice it is to see you again!" Great Aunt Merrill hobbled toward us on her crutches and kissed the air beside my mum's cheeks.<p>

She turned and studied the blouse and pleated skirt my mum had forced me into and gave a slight nod of approval. "Susan, be a dear and go fetch my suitcase from the luggage carousel while I talk to your mother."

I hurried off, glad to be away from her overwhelming old lady perfume.

She and my mum kept a steady conversation all the way home while I sat in the backseat pulling at my itchy clothes.

After an hour in traffic, which wouldn't have been a problem if we'd been in Ministry cars, we coasted to a stop in the driveway of our house.

"Thanks so very much, dear," my great aunt simpered, following me as I lugged her suitcase towards the spare guest room. "Watch for those corners. We don't want them scraping on anything, do we?"

I stared straight ahead, as if I'd been Confounded.

"How much you've grown! Horizontally, that is. You're a tad bit chubby around the middle, but a few less meals can cure that, I always say."

Gritting my teeth, I fought the urge to turn around and Avada Kedavra her. Why had my parents decided to have the guest room upstairs at the end of the hall?

"Good gracious, who picked this color to paint the bathroom with?" she continued, opening doors as she walked. "And what unflattering curtains."

If Harry could put up with Snape, Umbridge, and the Dursleys, I could endure a few more minutes of Great Aunt Merrill. I hoped.

"Lord love a duck!" she screeched, coming to a stop at the door to my room. "What are those abominations contaminating the walls?"

I looked over her shoulder. "What, my posters?"

"Posters? These are clearly examples of occult practices! Young people these days, mixing with the devil and dark forces!" She clutched the doorframe, breathing heavily. "Oh, my poor nerves, I must go lay down and rest. Come, come."

It took every ounce of self-control to keep myself from throwing her suitcase into the guest room and slamming the door behind her.

As soon as the suitcase touched the carpet, I escaped to my room and locked the door behind me.

Emma Watson watched me sympathetically from the poster above my bed.

_She's nothing but a bully like Umbridge._

"I know," I said. "But what can I do?"

The poster of Rupert on my closet door grinned. _You could always poison her tea or something._

_Ron! _Emma scolded.

_Oh, come on, Hermione, you know she deserves it. _Daniel Radcliffe reasoned.

"That's still mean," I told him.

_Thanks, Susan._ Emma smiled. _Good to know there's another sane person here with me_.

"You're welcome."

It wasn't until five minutes later that I realized I had had a conversation with the posters in my room.

And ten minutes after that, I realized that it wasn't even the first time.

Sometimes I think I need therapy.

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><p><strong>If you don't know already, I have a little status update on my profile that lets you know what stories I'm working on and whatever. I'm also on Twitter: daughterathena7.<br>**


	3. Temporary Respite

Chapter 3: Temporary Respite

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><p>"He is so, like, into you," Bree gushed, watching Fang smile and wave at Diana from across the cafeteria.<p>

She glared at Bree and waved back at Fang, blushing so hard you'd have thought Snape caught them snogging in the Potions storeroom.

I poked at my peanut butter and jelly sandwich, trying to transfigure it into a burger, as Cassie and Bree began an animated conversation on the likelihood Diana and Fang would be going out by the end of the year.

"What do you think, Susan?" Bree asked after five minutes of analyzing Fang's behavior. "You're being awfully quiet."

I told them about Great Aunt Merrill.

"Oh, wow, that sucks," Cassie said when I finished complaining.

Diana wordlessly gave me part of her chocolate chip cookie. "And I thought _my_ parents were strict."

I sighed. "She's almost as bad as Umbridge."

"Or Mrs. Dodds," Diana added.

"Victoria."

"Echidna."

"Petunia Dursley."

"Sue Sylvester," Cassie suggested. We stared blankly. "You know, that coach from Glee?"

"Aunty M."

"Hera."

"Great Aunt Muriel."

"Zoe, when she first met Percy."

"_Annabeth_, when she first met Percy."

"Rita Skeeter."

"Kelli the empousa."

"Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Athena while PMSing!"

There was a silence and then we all burst out laughing at the same time.

There's no medicine for depression better than good friends.

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><p><strong>Short, I know, but a necessary chapter. Review, share, favorite, and follow! <strong>


	4. Harry Potter Pwns Twilight

Chapter 4: Harry Potter Pwns Twilight. End of story.

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><p>"Ravenclaw pride," I explained happily, setting my blue and bronze book bag on the floor next to my chair.<p>

"What house would I be in again?" Diana asked.

"You'd probably be a Hufflepuff along with Cassie," I decided. "Bree's just a Muggle."

"I heard that!" Bree snapped, slamming her tray on the table. "Whatever it means."

I eyed her warily. "What's got your wand in a knot?"

"Ares playing with your mind?" Diana asked.

"It's him!" Bree said, before bursting into tears.

"Not again," Cassie mouthed to us, patting Bree on the back.

Bree has a crush on a different boy every other week. And since she's a total drama queen, too, she either acts completely in love, or heartbroken that he doesn't know she exists.

"I'm sure Ryan likes you back," Cassie soothed Bree, continuing to pat her on the back like some sort of dog.

"Nick," Bree corrected, hiding in her arms.

"Well, if he breaks your heart, I'll get my dad to fry him to a crisp, okay?" Cassie promised.

"Okay," Bree sniffled, "You guys are the best friends ever. I even forgive you for the time you said Edward was a creepy sparkly fairy."

"But he is," I insisted. "He's the Inferi of Cedric Diggory and is being used by the Death Eaters to force us into watching sappy movies that melt our brains!"

"Susan, I really don't think you should…" Diana warned.

I ranted on. "And Jacob is an unregistered Animagus who rides a motorcycle, turns into a dog/wolf, and has the last name Black. How very original. And Bella is even more awkward than Ginny is in the movies, which is saying something."

"You're just jealous because Twilight won the MTV Teen's Choice Movie Awards!" Bree retorted.

I stepped back in shock. "You're joking, right? Harry Potter has been nominated for nine or ten Oscars and you sit there bragging about the MTV Movie Awards? Get it straight: no one cares. Have fun with your childish popularity contests while Harry Potter is up there with the professionals."

Bree looked around nervously, as if hoping someone to back her up would Apparate soon. "Well, the main character in Twilight is easy to relate to."

"Oh, of course," I said in mock understanding. "Everyone can relate to a selfish, whiny brat who has an unhealthy obsession with her overprotective boyfriend."

"It's a beautiful love story!"

"Ron and Hermione are a beautiful love story. Edward and Bella are like The Phantom of the Opera, except that Stephanie Meyer makes it seem like an obsessive relationship is perfectly normal."

"They aren't obsessive!"

I rolled my eyes. "This is a waste of time. Harry Potter pwns Twilight, period. If you want to argue, I won't hesitate to hex you."

Bree stuck out her tongue at me, clearly at a loss for further insults.

"My great aunt would bite your head off for doing that, you know. It's so unladylike. Unladylike…" I was struck with sudden inspiration. "How would you guys like it if you came over to my house for a sleepover this Friday?"


	5. The Woman with Two Faces

**Aren't you guys proud? I updated in exactly a week!**

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><p><span>Chapter 5: The Woman with Two Faces<span>

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><p>"Pahrdon me, m'lady," I apologized to Diana in a British accent as I reached for the popcorn.<p>

She pulled it just out of reach. "Where's yours?"

I smiled sheepishly. "I ate all of it already?"

Cassie noticed my predicament and tilted her bag of popcorn towards me. "Here. You owe me."

"Thanks. But actually, now we're even, because last week…"

"Shhh!" Bree hissed. "You're going to make me miss the good part!"

"That's what she said!" Diana joked cheekily.

Bree shushed us again just in time to recite the last few lines of The Notebook in perfect timing before issuing a dreamy sigh.

I groaned. "Thank Merlin it's over. Remind me, how did I agree to rent this movie?"

"We get to watch Inception next week, that's why."

Watching a movie was one of our most important Friday night rituals, and whoever hosted the sleepover last got to pick the next movie. It was pretty much a consolation prize for spending the following Saturday picking popcorn pieces out of the couch.

"Cookies, anyone?" Great Aunt Merrill limped into the room carrying a silver tray (her crutches snapped when she tried to break my Firebolt).

Cassie, confused, mouthed, "I thought you said she was mean."

"I don't know." I mouthed back, equally confused. "Maybe she had a nice streak and made cookies?"

Sadly, that wasn't the case.

"Food! Thank the gods." Diana said.

Merrill turned on her sharply. "What did you say?"

"Um, thank the gods?"

"Lord love a duck! Paganism!" She feigned her eight fainting swoon this week while I rolled my eyes. "Susan, dear, why have you allowed your heathen friends to influence you into joining cults and worshipping false gods? The moral values and ethics of this generation are deplorable, not to mention their perverted perspectives of religion!"

Bree stared. "I'm sorry, could you say that again, but slower?"

"And the rebellious nature that has long been suppressed by fair discipline has been unleashed to create unruly children that do not hesitate to speak up or disrespect their elders!" Merrill strolled away as haughtily as it's possible to be when you have a sprained ankle.

Cassie coughed awkwardly. "Well, that was… something."

"Oh, Susan," Bree said. "It must be horrible to live with her all the time."

"Ya think?"

My friends sat in a sympathetic silence until Diana spoke up. "You know what? This isn't the point of girl's night. Girl's night is about painting nails, watching movies, Nerf wars, and food, not sitting around moping. C'mon!"

She plugged her iPod into a portable speaker and started blasting music, pelting us with leftover popcorn until we got up and danced.

"'Cause I've been, I've been noticing you noticing me as I noticed you!" Bree sang into a water bottle.

Diana jumped onto the couch. "I think it's kinda funny that I like you like I do…"

"Baby, I'm crazy for you!" we chorused, collapsing in a giggling heap.

We switched Diana's iPod with mine. "Mum, I'm coming home… home to you. No goodbyes this time, and no kisses too. Ginny, please don't you cry, you know I'll always love you…"

"Nope," Cassie decided, skipping to the next song. "We're only going to be happy the whole night."

But lying in my sleeping bag hours later, thinking about the next few months with Aunt Merrill, I didn't feel that happy at all.

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><p><strong>Song credits:<strong>

**The Reason is You, by Tiffany Alvord**

**Open at the Close, by Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls**


	6. Enchanted

Chapter 6: Enchanted

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><p><em>All I can say is it was enchanting to meet you.<em>

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><p>"Hello, ladies. Mind if we sit here?"<p>

It was raining owls and toads outside, and everyone had been forced to retreat into the indoor cafeteria for lunch.

"Actually, yeah, we do mind… just kidding. Gods, you take things so seriously." Diana grinned and moved her stuff over to make room for Fang and his friends.

I could almost see wheels racing in Bree's head as she set her targets on a cute blond guy. (I use racing as a relative term, because she never thinks even remotely fast.)

"Heeeey," she cooed. "Haven't I seen you around before?"

He looked at her strangely. "Not that I know of."

She giggled. "Oh, silly me. I must have confused you with another cute guy."

Looking entirely uncomfortable, he looked around for an excuse to escape the conversation.

He picked me. "Hey, you're in my Science class, aren't you?"

"Maybe," I replied casually. "Flayhard, second period?"

"Yeah. Isn't he so freaking mean?"

"Not as mean as some teachers."

He scoffed, "You have a teacher meaner than Flayhard?"

"No, but I heard about a teacher that killed the headmaster on top of a tower."

He smiled slowly. "I heard about that, too. Didn't he teach Chemistry?"

Bree looked bewildered, clearly realizing that this conversation was way over her head.

I returned his knowing smile. "Mhmm. He never washed his hair, either."

"Funny he didn't smell his disgusting hair, with his huge nose and all."

"I think that between him and his master, they had just enough nose to go around."

He laughed.

Bree seized her chance and giggled without the slightest idea of what we were talking about. "Of course!"

"I see the company you keep doesn't reflect your acuity," he noted, looking at Bree.

"As discerning as you are, I see you've neglected observing one's character before announcing judgment," I defended loyally, automatically countering his vocabulary with some of mine.

He raised an eyebrow.

"She's one of my best friends," I added.

"I apologize, then. May I request the pleasure of knowing your name?"

"Susan. Yours?"

He grinned. "Seamus."

The bell rang, and on impulse, encouraged by Cassie's violent nodding, I scribbled my number on the back of his hand.

He looked at it, then back at me, grinning wider than ever. "See you in Science tomorrow, Susan?"

"You too," I whispered as he walked away.

Bree squealed as soon as he was out of earshot, "OMG! That was, like, so romantic! And he's in your Science class! Maybe you'll prick your finger and he'll have to carry you to the office when you faint!"

"When I what?" It was my turn to be clueless, but this time it was a good thing (I think Twilight kills IQ points).

Cassie sighed dramatically, packing up her stuff to get to class. "Never mind her. Really, though, he was so into you."

"Really?"

"For the gods' sake, Susan, stop repeating everything as a question."

"A question?"

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><p><strong>Haha. I had to go all sappy on you guys. But a little fluffiness now and then never hurt anyone, right? Review!<strong>


	7. An Excess of Phlegm

Chapter 7: An Excess of Phlegm

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><p>I floated through the next week in a happy daze. If being under the influence of Amortentia was anything like this, I wouldn't mind. Actually, I think people say that about drugs, too, so forget what I just said.<p>

Our Friday night sleepover was a blast, resulting in a two hour debate over whether Dom had really come home or was still dreaming: Diana thought he hadn't, but Cassie maintained that the top had been about to fall, and I said that the point of the movie was for you to decide. Bree, on the other hand, got lost in the first ten minutes and spent the rest of the movie commenting on how the plot was confusing, but Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Arthur) was hot enough to make up for it.

Great Aunt Merrill came downstairs to check on us, culminating in another lecture, this time including Bree, because Twilight was "inappropriate for children your age." I privately agreed.

Great Aunt Merrill cornered me the next morning after all my friends had gone home. "Susan, I was thinking last night, and I forgive you."

"Forgive me?" I repeated.

"Yes, it isn't your fault you've become immersed in witchcraft. It's clearly a direct result of the negative influence of your peers."

I stared as hard as I could at the pink bow adorning her disgustingly pink sweater and recited spells to keep myself from hitting her.

_Wingardium Leviosa, levitate, Avada Kedavra, the Killing Curse, sentence to Azkaban, Reparo, Alohomora, unlocks doors, first used by Hermione in The Philosopher's stone_.

"…granddaughter of one of the women at the senior center."

I snapped to attention. "What did you just say?"

"Don't be insolent," she scolded. "I was just telling you about the nice girl I invited over this afternoon."

I doubted our definitions of "nice" were similar in any way, and I was partly right.

I wasn't sure what I expected to find on the other side of the door at three that afternoon, but it certainly wasn't what met my eyes. It was Lucy. As in Lucy, one of the prettiest girls at school. Today, she was dressed in Hollister skinny jeans and a loose sky blue top that still somehow managed to showcase her supermodel figure.

She smiled a blindingly white grin. "Susan, right?"

"Er, yeah."

Still smiling, she stepped inside the entry hall and looked around, her teal blue nails clutching a silver handbag.

Great-Aunt Merrill appeared, on her new crutches. "Lucy, darling."

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Moore." Another smile. "You have a lovely house."

"Thank you, but it's my daughter's," said she-who-hates-Harry-Potter graciously. "Why don't you girls come to the kitchen? I just made a batch of cranberry muffins. You can talk later."

Lucy nodded. "Thank you, Mrs. Moore."

"You're welcome, dearie."

I followed them, nearly gagging from all the niceness. This was going to be heaps of fun.

"At my house, my daddy hired a professional interior decorator," Lucy chirped, a half-eaten cranberry muffing on the counter.

"Mhmm." I automatically replied, checking the time on my phone.

Lucy kept up an endless stream of chatter, so I didn't have to say much. "My room has a four poster bed with silk curtains from France."

"That's nice."

"The decorator hired two artists to paint a mural on my bedroom wall, too."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. It cost Daddy a small fortune, almost as much as my pure-bred Pomeranian."

"How interesting."

She smoothed her perfect veela blond hair over one shoulder. "Do you have a dog?"

"I see."

"What?"

"What?"

Her big blue eyes blinked as she tried to piece together the situation. I never thought I'd meet someone slower than Bree. It turns out I had.

Thank Merlin, my phone chose to ring at that exact awkward moment. I smiled apologetically at Lucy and stepped into the hall.

"Bloody hell, Cassie!" I exclaimed. "She's driving me crazy. She's not even mean or anything. She's nice. Too nice. I think her niceness is going to rub off on me!"

"Um… Susan?" It wasn't Cassie. It was a lot worse.

Bloody hell. Why does fate hate me?

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><p><strong>Quick poll:<strong>

**Would you lot rather have me update once a week with a short chapter (like I'm doing now) or longer chapters every two weeks?**


	8. Don't Go All Hepzibah Smith on Me

Chapter 8: Don't Go All Hepzibah Smith on Me

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><p>"Susan? Are you there?" Seamus repeated.<p>

I debated the pros and cons of hanging up right now and decided against it. No use in delaying the embarrassment."Er… hi?"

"Hey," he sounded relieved. "Are you doing anything right now?"

I half glanced at Lucy. "Not particularly."

"We're down at Dragon Alley -it's this new bowling place- and," there was a loud scuffling sound,"Ian! Go get your own nachos! Sorry, Fang was wondering if you and the girls wanted to come hang out. Apparently Diana doesn't have a cell phone, so we called you."

"Sure!We'll be right over."

"Okay then. Bye."

"Bye."

"Yeah."

"Uh… I'm hanging up now."

"Okay."

"Yeah."

I winced as I ended the call.

Lucy wandered out into the hallway and my heart fell. How was I supposed to get rid of _her_?

And then fate decided to apologize.

"Um, sorry to be in a rush and everything, but I have cheer practice in half an hour," she played with her silver bangles. "Do you mind if I…"

"Oh, of course! Yes, go!" To her bemusement, I practically pushed her out the front door.

It took only five more minutes to bring Diana, Cassie, and then -after a bit of hesitation- Bree up to date.

Piece of Hagrid's chocolate cake.

Unfortunately, getting Aunt Merrill to agree took a bit more effort.

"I think I should drive you there," she suggested. "That way, I can meet your friends."

"I don't want to trouble you, what with your ankle and all."

"Oh no, no trouble at all, dear," she smiled reminiscently. "I used to do the same thing for your mother."

"Is that why she had no friends?" I muttered to myself as she-who-hates-Harry-Potter swept off to change.

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><p>I pulled up my hoodie and tried to stay inconspicuous, not that it was necessary. Great Aunt Merrill's hat nearly hid me from view.I never thought I'd be thankful for that floppy, pink, lavender-flowered monstrosity.<p>

"Glad you could make it," Seamus said. "Is that your grandma or Neville's?"

I forced a smile. "Great-aunt. Careful, she bites."

He laughed, and walked over to where she was standing lecturing Diana, who gratefully scampered away. Under the pretense of going to look at the choices on the snack menu, I wandered within a few feet of them.

"Good afternoon, ma'am." He held out his hand for her to shake. "You're Susan's great aunt, aren't you?"

"Why, yes," she replied, her ugly hat bobbing as she seized his hand and shook it violently. "But I don't believe we've met."

"Seamus," he replied, wincing slightly as he rubbed his hand, but not letting his easygoing grin falter. "Seamus Caspian. Maybe Susan's mentioned me?"

"She didn't, actually," Merrill looked up and beckoned me over. "I would've remembered if she'd told me she was friends with such a charming boy."

Seamus smiled modestly. "Thank you, Mrs.…?"

"Mrs. Moore, but you can call me Debbie."

They made small talk for a while as I mimed gagging behind Aunt Merrill's back, but Seamus just rolled his eyes at me.

"You know what, Aunt Merrill?" I finally interrupted. "You can go home if you want. I think I'll be fine."

"Oh, of course." She looked slightly crestfallen. "But I know Seamus here will take care of you."

He smirked at me and I gave him an I'm-going-to-kill-you-very-painfully-later glare.

"Don't let her get into any trouble," Aunt Merrill ordered.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Seamus promised.

I swear she muttered "if I was fifty years younger" under her breath as she hobbled out of the bowling alley.

"I thought you said she was mean," Seamus said as we joined everyone else.

"Well, she's always horrid to me!"

"Ha! She loves me more than you!" He struck a model pose. "No one can resist my charms."

I dropped a bowling ball on his foot.

"Okay! I'm sorry!"

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><p><strong>Next chappie is Halloween! Review!<strong>


	9. Hallowe'en

**Special edition chapter for Halloween: over 800 words!**

**I also want to take this opportunity to thank all my readers. Over 100 reviews already! :D**

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><p><span>Chapter 9: Hallowe'en<span>

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><p>I adjusted the tinfoil diadem resting on my hair and smiled at myself in the mirror.<p>

"Well, when you're done imitating Narcissus, we can leave to go trick-or-treating," Diana said impatiently.

"Oh, sod off," I said, before realising that Rowena Ravenclaw would be much more polite and ladylike. "Who are you lot supposed to be anyway?

"Bella," Bree piped up. "Now I have an excuse to trip over everyone."

"Lovely," Cassie commented. "My costume is better. After all, who doesn't want to be Silena?"

I turned back to Diana. "And who are you?"

"Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom, intelligence, learning, etc. Also known by her Roman form: Minerva. She was born when…"

"Okay, I get the idea. No need to go all Greek geek on me!"

"Greek geek!" Bree repeated shrilly, giggling.

I stared at her. "Please don't tell me you're already on a sugar high."

Cassie pulled some empty chocolate wrappers from Bree's pillowcase. "Yup. Same thing happened last year, remember?"

"Oh my gods, last year was epic," Diana exclaimed, "though we never really did find out who the creepy masked guy was."

"I bet it was James," Cassie said. "He's this twenty-year-old video game addict down the street that still lives with his parents and has no social life."

Bree burst into hysterics again. "Greek geek!"

"Merlin, if she's like this just from sugar, I shudder to think of how she'll act when drunk," I said in a British accent.

"Are you girls leaving yet?" Diana's mom asked, walking into the kitchen and rummaging through the pantry.

"We're going right now."

"Be careful," she found a bag of candy and poured it into a bowl. "Look both ways before you cross the street, never go into anyone's house, never eat any candy before you bring it home for inspection, stay in a group, and don't go into the cemetery on Elm Street."

Cassie took a piece of candy corn and popped it into her mouth. "Why not?"

Diana's mom lowered her voice. "They say that several years ago, a girl decided to take a shortcut through the cemetery. Her three friends refused to go with her, so she entered alone. All was fine until...AAAAGGGGHHHH!" She screamed loudly.

We all screamed too.

Laughing, Diana's mom threw away the candy's plastic packaging and carried the bowl towards the front door, calling over her shoulder, "Like I said, don't go into the cemetery."

Have I mentioned that Diana has the awesomest mom in the world?

"Let's tell scary stories," Diana suggested as we walked towards the rich-people part of town (the richer the person, the better candy they give).

"Oooh! I have a really good one!" Cassie cleared her throat. "Once upon a time, there was a dark, dark forest. And in the dark, dark forest was a dark, dark house. In the dark, dark house, there was a dark, dark, room. And in the dark, dark room there was a dark, dark closet. In the dark, dark closet, there was a dark, dark coat. And in the dark, dark coat there was a dark, dark pocket. And in the dark, dark pocket, there was… A PINK JELLY BEAN!"

"How scary," Bree gasped sarcastically. "I can come up with a better one. Once upon a time there was a girl named Bella. She had a boyfriend named Edward. One day, for her own safety, Edward had to leave her. Isn't that scary? And tragic?"

I stared. "First off, that story had no plot whatsoever. Where's the conflict? The climax? Secondly, when Edward left Bella for her own safety, she became depressed. When Harry left Ginny for her own safety, Ginny led a rebellion against Snape's new regime, restarted the D.A. with Luna and Neville, and nearly succeeded at stealing Gryffindor's sword."

"Let's see you try to come up with a better horror story, then!"

"Oh yeah? That shouldn't be too hard."

"I have a real-life horror story," Diana announced loudly to stop our arguing.

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Of course. It's not like that's what everyone says."

"In a place not very far away, there was a country. All the leaders spent a lot of money and then the next generation of the country had to pay off the debt of over fifteen trillion dollars. Plus they had to worry about global warming and the oil crisis and unemployment and the cost of health care and education. True story, I swear."

"…"

"I think we should just stick to trick-or-treating."


	10. Seventeen Inches and Counting

**This chapter (mostly the author's note at the end) was written under the influence of way too much Halloween candy. You have been warned.**

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><p><span>Chapter 10: Seventeen Inches and Counting<span>

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><p>I really hate those days. You know, where it's a beautiful sunny day outside and there's heaps of homework inside. Do teachers get together, look at the weather forecast and sales at the mall, and plan to be evil?<p>

Reluctantly, I sat cross-legged on my bed and rifled through my backpack. What to suffer through first?

Arithmancy homework? Ugh, no. Dear Algebra, I'm not a therapist. Solve your own problems. And stop trying to find your x. Face it, she's not coming back to _you_. (Who would?) Love, Susan.

Muggle History? Even worse than History of Magic.

Potions? Not unless I have the Half-blood Prince's cheat sheet.

And then I saw it. My light green paper folder marked "Ancient Runes." And inside…

**Writing Prompt****: Sometimes the most important things in life aren't things at all. What is a non-material thing you find important? How can it help people?**

**Guidelines****: Your essay must be TYPED (double-spaced and 12 pt. Times New Roman). Margins are to be 1 ½ inches. The top right hand corner should state your NAME, DATE, and PERIOD NUMBER. Two page MINIMUM. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in point deduction.**

I calculated figures in my head and smiled as a small idea began two grow. Two pages meant 12 inches of parchment. This was actually going to be fun.

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><p><span>The Power the Dark Lord Knows Not: <span>  
>How Love Could Have Made Voldemort More Powerful<p>

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><p><em>"If there is one thing that Voldemort cannot understand, it is love." <em>–Albus Dumbledore

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><p>In a checklist for the requirements of an evil villain, I doubt anyone would put love. But as a basic human instinct and powerful motive, it should never be ignored. Dumbledore described it as "at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than the forces of nature." (OP37) Professor Slughorn warned his class to "never underestimate the power of obsessive love." (HBP9) Lord Voldemort's weakness was that he did not love or even try to understand its mysterious capabilities. Several times, his ignorance was a threat to his power, and eventually it led to his final downfall.<p>

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><p><strong>Myself vs. My Master<strong>

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><p><em>"Of house-elves and children's tales, of love, loyalty and innocence, Voldemort knows and understands nothing."<em> –Albus Dumbledore, Deathly Hallows, Ch. 35

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><p>While the Dark Lord didn't love, many of his Death Eaters did. Some of them, like Narcissa Malfoy and Severus Snape, even marked love of greater importance than obedience to the Dark Lord. They were willing to face death keeping their loved ones safe. Voldemort, sadly, never understood this. He did not see how they could betray him for something as "unimportant" as love.<p>

Narcissa Malfoy showed love despite his wishes on two separate occasions. The first was when she went to Snape and asked him to help her son Draco carry out his mission, against orders. Bellatrix admonishes her, insisting that revealing the Dark Lord's plans is nothing short of treason. Narcissa forcefully threatens her, causing Bellatrix to scoff in disbelief, but Narcissa declares, "There is nothing I wouldn't do anymore!" (HBP2) The second and more serious time was when Voldemort asked her to check if Harry was dead in the Forbidden Forest. She did so, and even as she felt Harry's heart beating, she replied that he was dead so that she could enter the castle and ensure her son's safety. In Harry's own words, Narcissa "no longer cared whether Voldemort won." (DH36) Her master, who didn't grasp the concept of lying to protect loved ones, believed her announcement of his enemy's death. Had she not have loved Draco that much, she might have truthfully reported that Harry was alive.

Besides love for your family, romantic love is just as powerful. Severus Snape betrayed Voldemort and turned spy for the other side because of love. When Professor Trelawney was having a job interview with Dumbledore, she was seized by a sudden vision of a prophecy concerning the defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Snape, who had been listening outside the door, hurried to relay what he had heard to the Dark Lord. The prophecy is as follows:

_"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ..."_ –Sybil Trelawney

Voldemort believed that the prophecy referred to Harry, the son of James and Lily Potter. Snape begged him to let Lily live and, as a precaution, went to Dumbledore, pleading with him to, "Hide them all. Keep her -them- safe. Please." (DH33) In return, he became a triple agent for Dumbledore from that moment on. Later, when Voldemort killed Lily, Snape was distraught and vowed to protect Lily's infant son, Harry. Over the next few years, he balanced on the thin line between working for Voldemort and Dumbledore, all while keeping his promise. Many of the events leading to Voldemort's defeat involved his help. Voldemort would never have understood why Snape would switch sides for love, and likely never saw it coming.

Had Voldemort understood love, he could have harnessed its power to further control his Death Eaters. To Voldemort, love was a partnership where both people gained something from it. He expected his Death Eaters to follow him because they believed in his ideas and wanted them to be made a reality, not because they cared about him as a person. Therefore, with the exception of Bellatrix, most of them obeyed him only half-heartedly, quickly denying him after his fall at the end of the first Wizarding War. If he had shown love to his followers, they would have loved in return through loyalty, and stayed by his side.

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><p><strong>The Power of Love<strong>

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><p><em>"Nothing I have seen in the world has supported your famous pronouncements that love is more powerful than any kind of magic, Dumbledore."<em> –Tom Riddle, Half-Blood Prince, Ch. 20

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><p>Throughout the Harry Potter books, the power of love is demonstrated over and over again. When someone willingly sacrifices themselves for another person and intends to die, that sacrifice protects the other person.<p>

On the night of October 31st, 1981, Voldemort entered the house of James and Lily Potter. After killing James and trapping Lily and Harry in a nursery upstairs, he honored Snape's request in offering to spare Lily. She refused, standing in front of Harry's crib to shield him. Voldemort killed her, unknowingly placing Harry under the protection of her sacrifice. As a result, when he attempted to kill the baby, his own Killing Curse rebounded on him. "I was ripped from my body. I was less than spirit, less than the meanest ghost," the Dark Lord later recounts. (GF33) How did it work? Dumbledore explained to Harry that, "Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign ... to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever." (P/SS17)

Seventeen years later, Voldemort made the same mistake on a larger scale. Harry bravely walked into the Forbidden Forest and surrendered to Voldemort, intending to die for his friends and the Wizarding World. Voldemort, thinking that Lily's protection had ended when Harry came of age, foolishly assumed that he could end everything and kill Harry once and for all. When he does, though, Harry's pure sacrifice brings all of Hogwarts under his protection. After being subjected to the Killing Curse, Harry encounters Dumbledore, who explains, "[Voldemort's] body keeps [Lily's] sacrifice alive, and while that enchantment survives, so do you and so does Voldemort's one last hope for himself." (DH35) With that information, Harry returns to fight and vanquish Lord Voldemort.

Love is a simple concept, but has the power to save lives and inspire bravery. Voldemort thought that he had "experimented, pushed the boundaries of magic further than they have ever been pushed," but Dumbledore disagreed, responding, "Of some forms of magic... Of others you remain, forgive me, woefully ignorant." (HBP20) Voldemort never bothered to understand the magical power of love, instead pouring his energy into the Dark Arts. If he had, he might have foreseen the protection Lily would give Harry and try to prevent it. He could have also used the life-saving properties of love to his advantage.

* * *

><p><strong>Closing Thoughts<strong>

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><p><em>"You don't learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you?"<em> –Harry Potter, Deathly Hallows, Ch. 36

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><p>Dumbledore told Harry, "That which Voldemort does not value, he takes no trouble to comprehend." (DH35) Love was "an ancient magic of which [Voldemort] knows, which he despises, and which he has always, therefore, underestimated." (OP37) By choosing to ignore and underestimate love, and therefore making his knowledge "woefully incomplete," (DH35) Voldemort made himself more vulnerable than his enemies. Other people could love, and that gave them "a power beyond his own, a power beyond the reach of any magic." (DH35) Harry never gave in because he was "protected, in short, by [his] ability to love." (HBP23) True, Voldemort was more advanced in areas like the Dark Arts, but love is a much more complex and powerful branch of magic, enabling pure self-sacrifices to save lives. The power of love is what fuels lives and keeps people from walking away. Everyone, whether they love or not, should, at the very least, try to understand this mysterious force that governs the human mind.<p>

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><p>I printed out the essay with a satisfied grin. Over a thousand words, three pages, and seventeen inches. Anybody can write if they have the right motivation.<p>

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><p><strong>Yes, I really did write that essay for an English class. I've been dying to work it into the story since the very first chapter. Everyone that loved me enough to read it and tells me what they think of it will get a very special prize.<strong>

**Susan: How special?**

**Me: spec-freakin-tacular special.**

**Susan: Well, what is it?**

**Me: Um...er...it's a...thing.**

**Susan: *glare your mom gives you when she knows you're lying***

**Me: What? I really do have a prize! It's just... a secret. Yeah. Until next time, this is daughterofathena7, signing off- wait no, that sounds lame.**

**Susan: Just say bye.**

**Me: BYE!**


	11. Outtake I

Sorry, but no chapter this week. I've been too busy. So... you get an outtake instead! Which is almost as good, right? Maybe? Yeah, not really.

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><p>Prize for the people who read my essay last week:<br>you get a **special shout-out**!

So thanks to **Sloppy Joe 313, listen2music4ever, Awesome.A.K., lovetoread1998, Gryffindor Encyclopedia Of Potter, BerryMary096, xx Annabella Princess xx, Skylar of Hufflepuff, TeenageDream123, PJATOSROCKS09, shadowCatuse, LaynThePurpleRaccoonGirl, and Mrs. Di Cullark.**

Love you all, and thanks so much for reading my story.

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><p><strong>Follow me on Twitter<strong> to keep up with new chapters and stuff. **Link is on my profile.**

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><p><strong>Questions &amp; Answers<strong>

**Q: Was that a real essay (in Chapter 10) and what grade did you get?**  
>A: It was actually written for my writing tutor, who loved it. Yes, my parents hired a tutor because they think I need more practice in writing. The irony.<p>

**Q: How old are you?**  
>A: You creepy stalker... O_o That's none of your business.<p>

**Q: Are you really this obsessed with Harry Potter?**  
>A: Haha, yes. This story is loosely based on my life and my crazy friends.<p>

**Q: Can you make someone obsessed with -fill in the blank-?**  
>A: *prepare for Dumbledore-ness* Alas, no. What happened in my other story was that there were so many obsessed people it started to get hard keeping track of all of them.<p>

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><p>If you have any more questions, I'll happily answer them in my next outtake. But there's a catch. You have to answer my questions:<p>

**1) What's your favorite thing about this story?**  
><strong>2) What would you change to make it better?<strong>

**Leave a review with your replies!**


	12. Meltdown

**Follow me on Twitter: (at)daughterofathena7 for update info and warning on delays like this.**

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><p><span>Chapter 12: Meltdown<span>

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><p>"We have a substitute," Diana whispered to me as soon as I stepped out of the locker room.<p>

Sure enough, across the basketball court, a very confused looking guy was staring at his clipboard.

"Wicked."

"What?"

"I don't know. Rupert Grint says it all the time."

"Okay…"

We reached the bleachers just as the bell rang and settled ourselves halfway to the top, the perfect spot to keep an eye on the rest of the class.

"Adams, Theresa?"

"Here."

"Alexander, Hannah?"

"Here."

"Bergson, Jack?"

"Here."

"Cooper, Anna?"

"Present."

The substitute went past Hughes, Anthony; Nguyen, Kim; and Patel, Sadaf, before reaching me.

"Tran, Susan?"

"Find!"

The substitute looked at me strangely, but I waved him off. "Don't worry about me. I have this incurable mental disorder that causes me to obsess over anything Harry Potter related. Carry on."

Diana quickly disguised her laugh in a cough as half the class shifted slightly away from us.

"I'm not contagious!" I said, miffed, which pushed Diana over the edge into silent hysterical laughter. She doubled over shaking and pressed her lips together, trying to keep quiet.

If I wasn't used to it, I would've thought she looked terrifying. But I was used to it, so I thumped her on the back and told her to shut up before the substitute yelled at us.

She obeyed and gave me her playing-cards-with-Mr. D poker face. (That's what she calls it.)

"Hurry up, girls!" the substitute snapped, and we realized that the rest of the class had already gone out onto the field.

"Coming!"

I grabbed a volley ball from a plastic bin and threw it to Diana. "Help me practice being Keeper?"

She rolled her eyes. "You do know that there's no way Coach Anderson will let you start a Quidditch team, right?"

I shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe the seventy-third time's lucky?"

She tossed it towards my right, which I easily deflected.

"Are you going to go see Breaking Dawn?" A girl asked her friend behind me.

"OMG, yes! Taylor Lautner is the hottest werewolf ever!"

The volleyball smacked me in the face as my mouth dropped open.

_Ew. Volleyball tastes gross_, I thought, at the same time as I thought, _OMHFP_ (Oh my Harry Freakin Potter).

"Oh my gods, I'm so sorry, Susan," Diana said, running over. "Ugh, where's Ambrosia when you need some?"

I shook my head. "It's not your fault. It's..." I sniffed, "Lupin!"

"Say that again? I think I lost you."

"Some girl said something about a werewolf and then I realized Lupin was dead!"

"Um, you've known he was dead since the midnight premiere of the seventh book."

I launched into my Moaning Myrtle imitation. "Some people are so inconsiderate! 'Oh, he's just dead!'"

A horrible thought hit me. "And Cedric Diggory is dead, too! And Tonks! And Mad-Eye Moody! And Dumbledore! And Fred! Oh my Rowling, Fred died! I wanted it to be Percy. The dust was clearing away after the explosion and I was like, 'Please let it be Percy' but then Fred was just… gone!"

Diana helped me to my feet. "Let's go to the bathroom and calm down, all right?"

"Lily and James… Colin Creevey… Sirius! Sirius died! And Dobby, too! Bellatrix Lestrange, you bitch!"

"Deep breaths," Diana said soothingly as we walked to the locker room. "They're in a better place now."

"Thanks."

"No problem. It's not like this only happens once in a while, anyway."

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><p><strong>One or two more chapters (maybe Thanksgiving and Christmas?) and then you probably won't hear from this story until January. I'll probably have a holiday story going all December, though, so keep an eye out for that!<strong>


	13. I Feel Normal

**Before you guys kill me, I'll have you know that this chapter is late because I've already started my Christmas story in hopes that I won't fall behind like last year. Oh, and this chapter is for last week AND this week, which means you won't hear from this story again until January.**

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><p><span> Chapter 13: I Feel Normal<span>

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><p>"Sorry, 'bout my relatives," Diana said, as we settled down for another Friday night sleepover to the sounds of way too many people crammed into a small house.<p>

As if on cue, her cousin Annie burst into the room. "Have you seen my Mockingjay pin? I left it on the bathroom counter and now it's gone!"

"Check under your bed," Diana ordered automatically.

"Okay. Oh, and can I use your laptop?"

"What for?" Diana asked grouchily.

"To see the Hunger Games trailer," she twirled her braid over her shoulder. "What else?"

"But you saw it yesterday!" complained Diana.

"The Hunger Games?" Bree repeated. "It looks pretty good. I saw the trailer before Breaking Dawn."

"Oh my mockingjay! Me too!" Annie squealed.

I stared back and forth as if trying to connect the pieces. "I didn't know you were a Twilight fan, Annie."

She smiled widely. "I'm not!"

"I thought you said you watched Breaking Dawn…"

She gave an exasperated sigh. "I didn't see the movie, silly. I just went to go see the Hunger Games trailer on the big screen."

"Oh, of course," I said, as if that was perfectly normal behavior.

"I totally love the cast for the whole movie," Annie continued as Diana started pushing her out the door. "I didn't want Josh Hutcherson as Peeta at first. I mean, he's so un-innocent looking and buff, y'know? And then I reread the book and it hit me that Peeta carries hundred pound bags of flour around, so of course he has abs. And Jennifer Lawrence didn't seem the Katniss type at first, but I think she'll pull through. And Prim. Oh, Prim is amazing. I got goose bumps when she screamed at the reaping. I think…"

We never got to hear what she thought, because Diana succeeded in forcing her out of the living room and closing the door after her. "Whew."

"And I thought we were crazy," Cassie said, breaking the silence.

"I know, right? She's trying to get her boyfriend Nick to grow a beard like Seneca Crane, whoever he is." Diana crawled into her sleeping bag. "And don't get me started on my other relatives…"

"What about them?" Bree asked bluntly.

"My seventeen-year-old cousin has a pet lizard named Yoda and carries a light saber to school," Diana said flatly. "And then there's Sammy, who wanders around the house carrying a plastic ring and insisting that it's his destiny to return it to Mordor."

We lie in sympathetic silence.

"Diana?" I asked as we turned out the lights.

"What?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"I never thought it'd be possible, but I feel like a normal person."


	14. The End Is Coming

**Heeey! Long time, no see... I mean write... or... never mind this is awkward. **

**Anyway, Confessions of a Potterhead is back. (: See my profile for full info on future updates.**

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><p><span>Chapter 14: The End is Coming<span>

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><p>"It's January, for Merlin's sake," I huffed. "The Valentine's day dance is ages away."<p>

"Well, it never hurts to be prepared," Bree said. "I've already got the perfect dress hanging in my closet."

"Already?" I exclaimed. "You mean someone's already asked you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, if you waited until then, all the good dresses would be gone. Boys take forever to work up their nerve."

The words "Harry" and "Ron" instantly sprang to mind.

"Who do you want to go with, anyway?" Bree asked.

I shrugged. "No bloody idea." We reached the polished double doors of the office. "See you at lunch, okay? Have fun doing your office-assistant-y stuff."

She made a face. "Have fun sleeping in History."

I trudged down the hall amongst crowds of girls discussing their Valentine's Dance plans.

"I heard he's going with Erin."

"Can I borrow those black flats you had?"

"I think the gold eye shadow brings out your eyes more."

"He's cute, but I wouldn't have said yes."

Then there were the crowds of guys slouching against the walls, eyeing the girls apprehensively.

"But isn't she already going with that other guy?"

"We'd better ask before we're left going alone."

"I think I'll just say I'm sick that night."

By the time I reached my American History class, I was sick of Valentine's Day.

I dropped my backpack next to my desk with a thud and yanked out a few sheets of lined paper to take notes. They tore into pieces as I pulled them from my notebook.

"Something bothering you?" Seamus guessed, sliding a perfectly torn sheet of paper onto my desk.

"Valentine's day," I blurted. "Can you come up with a worse holiday? Let's tell all the happy couples, 'Oh, congratulations, let's give you another reason to think you're better than single people.' And then tell everyone else, 'Since you're already single and depressed, here's a day where you can be even more depressed. Enjoy!'"

He bursts out laughing. "Is this about the dance?"

"Yes. No. I… Ugh, never mind!" I spluttered, stabbing a hole through my paper with my quill. "What about you?"

"There's this one girl I'd really like to go with…"

He already knew who he wanted to go with? I poked a matching hole into my textbook.

"…but I'm not sure how to ask without it being awkward."

"You'll have to lasso her," I deadpanned. "Sorry, Goblet of Fire reference. Me and my Harry Potter Obsessive Syndrome."

"That's it! Thanks, Susan."

"What-"

"Mrs. Tran, do you need to be sent to the office?" Mrs. Boxley (a.k.a. Professor Binns) boomed.

"No, ma'am." I said quickly, dipping my quill into the inkwell and scribbling the details of the Battle of the Alamo.


	15. Follow the Owl

**OMR. This chapter is over a thousand words.**

**Thanks for all the reviews! I love hearing from you guys!**

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><p><span>Chapter 15: Follow the Owl<span>

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><p>"We can always go together as one big group of friends," Diana suggested.<p>

I groaned. "No. Nothing says lame more than showing up at the Valentine's Day Dance without a date."

We were lounging on the grass in front of the school, waiting for first period to start. I was in an even worse mood than my usual not-a-morning-person-fire-breathing-dragon-that-needs-caffeinated-pumpkin-juice-mood, which is saying something. Aunt Merrill had tried – unsuccessfully – to get me to agree to remodel my room at breakfast. In a fairy princess theme. Cue gagging sounds. Voices were raised, a glass of orange juice was knocked over, and my mum didn't say goodbye to me when she dropped me off at school.

"We might not be going alone," Cassie said over the top of her book. "You never know."

She exchanged a look with Bree.

"What?" I demanded, all traces of the grouchy dragon evaporating on the spot.

Bree smiled teasingly. "If I tell you, it won't be a surprise."

"What's a surprise?" I said. "Godric. You know I hate surprises."

"Not this oneeee," Cassie sang. She snapped her book closed and checked her cell phone for the time. "Got to go. Bree and I promised Ms. Fleming we'd come early."

"Wait, what surprise? You two get your arses back here! Imperio!"

They disappeared into the crowd by the steps, waving at me with insolent grins.

Merlin. Sometimes I really hate my friends.

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><p>I rested my binder against my hip and twisted the combination dial on my locker.<p>

Didn't need my Science book for the rest of today. Into the black hole it goes. I was about to shove it in when a small pure white feather the length of my pinkie caught my eye.

I picked it up. What was it doing here? A quick glance around the bustling hallway confirmed that no one had lost it. I went to place it on the top shelf of my locker, and yanked my hand back when it encountered something fuzzy. I pulled it down warily.

A snowy white plush owl stared at me with its yellow glass eyes, a single long-stemmed rose tucked under its wing. And underneath…. tied to its leg was a tight roll of parchment. My fingers fumbled to unroll it. Had my Hogwarts letter finally come?

It wasn't my letter.

But it was almost as good.

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><p>"Where'd you get that owl?" My mum asked as soon as I locked the door behind me.<p>

"Seamus," I admitted, trying to suppress the smile that had stayed with me all day at school.

"Seamus? Seamus who?"

"He's from my school."

She came into the living room, her hair pulled into a bun and her gardening gloves on. "Why'd he give that to you?"

"We're going to the Valentine's Day dance together?" I ventured nervously.

She frowned. "And who gave you permission to go to this dance?"

"Oh. Can I go to the dance?"

"No."

"What? Why?"

She wiped her forehead with a clean part of her T-shirt sleeve. "I thought your father and I had already made it clear that you weren't allowed to date until you were older."

"I am old! And it's not a date! We're just going to be hanging out at the dance as friends!"

"Ah, yes. The vague 'hanging out.' No. You're not going to the dance." She left as if the conversation was over, which it definitely wasn't.

"But the Valentine's Day Dance is like the prom of middle school!" I pleaded, following her into the backyard. Great Aunt Merrill was already there, filling a bucket with weeds. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Are you going to deprive me of one of life's biggest joys?"

"Susan, don't be dramatic."

"I'm not! You have to let me go!"

"Go where, dearie?" she-who-hates-Harry-Potter interrupted.

"She wants to go to a middle school dance unsupervised with a boy I've never met."

"Well, it sounds bad when she says it, but it's not," I added quickly.

Merrill considered this for a moment. "Who's the boy?"

"Seamus," I said, grinding a hole into the dirt with my blue Vans.

Her face brightened. "Seamus Caspian? The boy I met at that newfangled bowling place?"

A little ember of hope burst inside of me. "Yeah, him. He's really nice, remember?"

"Heather, let her go. I can personally vouch for her safety."

"Now, Aunt Debbie," my mum started.

Merrill waved her away. "Nonsense, nonsense. A growing girl needs time to spend with her friends. I'm sure Susan will have the time of her life."

"That probably won't be a good thing," my mum muttered.

She-who-hates-Harry-Potter clapped her hands together. "As a matter of fact, I have the perfect dress! I was going to wait to give it to you on your birthday, but this seems like the perfect occasion! Let me go find it."

I dropped my backpack on the porch and sat on the steps. "So you're going to let me go, right?"

My mum sighed. "Your great aunt will let you, and I trust her decision, let's just say that."

"Here it is, dear. Isn't it the most beautiful thing?" Merrill fluffed out the dress she'd brought outside.

"You want me to wear THAT?"


	16. Seen and Unforeseen

**Not entirely happy with this chapter, but I wanted it to be posted in time.**

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><p><span>Chapter 16: Seen and Unforeseen<span>

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><p>"I think that's better," Bree said. She gathered up the discarded tulle from the underskirt of my dress and stuffed it into the trash can.<p>

I turned sideways and scrutinized myself in the mirror. "Can you make it shorter or something? It still looks like something I'd wear in preschool."

"It's not that bad," Diana said. "The updo helps a lot."

"Easy for you to say! All of you have normal dresses!" I cried.

"No tears," Cassie said firmly, leading me to the window seat. "Your mascara will run."

I angrily twisted the lace flowers on the hem of the carnation pink dress. "Why is she so set on ruining my life? First Harry Potter, now this. Who wears a dress with puffy sleeves and flowers after their fifth birthday? And why couldn't my mom just get me a new dress? Who cares if it'll 'hurt your aunt's feelings'?"

Diana somehow pulled a ballpoint pen out of the folds of her off-white dress. "All right, I didn't want to do this, but I'm afraid I must: Shut up and enjoy the night or face the wrath of Riptide."

The doorbell rang and we all jumped nervously. We heard Bree's father greet the guys in the kitchen.

"Ready?" Cassie whispered.

We gathered up our mini handbags and anxiously trooped down the hall.

The guys were lounging in the den, looking shockingly neat and presentable.

Fang wolf whistled when we entered and turned to his friends. "I told you she'd look the prettiest."

Diana's blush matched the red sash on her dress.

"Y'all better be home by ten," Bree's dad said gruffly. "And don't do anythin' stupid."

"Of course, Mr. Turner," Seamus' friend Ian promised, giving Bree's bare shoulders a squeeze.

Bree's dad was not amused.

After a semi-convincing apology, we were free to go. The school was four blocks away, but it was a warm night, so we opted to walk.

"I love your dress," Seamus joked, plucking a flower from a bush and placing it in my hair as we strolled down the sidewalk hand-in-hand.

"You-know-who made me wear it," I explained hurriedly. "It's awful, I know. I don't get why she hates me so much. It's-"

"Don't worry about it," he cut me off, running his hand through his own blond hair and completely messing it up. "You look great."

I shut up. Diana was right. I wasn't going to give Merrill the satisfaction of ruining my night.

Gigantic glittery banners announced the dance in front of the school and popped balloons and confetti were scattered on the steps. Two preppy girls in dresses that were more skin than fabric collected our tickets at the double doors.

The gym looked like Cupid had come and barfed on it. Or worse, Gilderoy Lockhart had been set loose.

Pink, red, and white streamers crisscrossed in every direction, making the room feel claustrophobic. Smiling kittens and chubby angels grinned creepily from the walls. Even the tables had been covered with lacy white cloths and vases of roses straight out of a romantic black and white movie. Think Madam Puddifoot's times ten.

I resisted the urge to run the hell out of there.

"Want to dance?" Seamus asked, pulling me towards the center of the room and away from the Cupid bearing an unsettling resemblance to Chucky. (Or maybe that was just my imagination.)

We danced for a little while, me occasionally stepping on his toes.

The band started up a slow song and I pulled closer.

We turned on the spot and from the other side of the gym, I saw Lucy point at me and whisper something to the girl that collected our tickets. The other girl snickered and whispered something back.

I ground to a halt, all my insecurities coming crashing down on me and shocking me out of my magical moment like a bucket of icy water.

"Susan?" Seamus was standing in front of me, confused. Around me, couples gave us dirty looks as they bumped into us.

"I think Lucy's making fun of my dress," I blurted.

"Godric," Seamus complained, taking my hand. "Is that it? No one cares."

"I do!" I said adamantly. "I look like I'm two wearing this dress!"

"Does it matter that much?" Seamus demanded. "You've been complaining about it all night! Can you just forget about it and have a good time? I don't always want to hear about your problems with your aunt, you know!"

"I thought you were willing to listen!" I defended. We were starting to cause a scene. "She's absolutely awful, and there's nothing I can do about it! I just need someone to vent to!"

"More like whine to." He put on an annoying imitation of my voice. "She's so horrible and I'm afraid to do anything about it. I guess I'll just go complain to all my friends."

That was too far. I barreled through the crowd, blindly shoving people out of the way. I wiped the tears out of my eyes with the back of my hand, smearing my makeup everywhere.

"Susan!"

Ignoring him, I burst out of the gym and ran the entire half mile home. Okay, I might have walked the last part, but you get the idea.

I was all too aware that Seamus was following a few yards behind me.

Great Aunt Merrill was sitting on the porch swing. She smiled when I came up the front walk. "Did you have a good time, dear?"

I really burst into tears then. "Why did you have to buy me this dress? Why do you always treat me like I'm some little girl? Everything is always you trying to bring me down. You try to take away the things I love the most! Do you have any idea how much Harry Potter means to me? Did you know I camped out outside the book store downtown to get a copy of the Deathly Hallows? Did you know I cried when the last movie ended? Why are you trying to make me suffer? I wish I didn't have a Great Aunt! I hate you!"

I stopped at the door and glared into the darkness beyond the reach of our porch light, where I was sure Seamus was standing. "And I hate you, too!"

And then, for good measure, I slammed the door and ran upstairs into my room.

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><p><strong>So... what did you think? Was her whole tantrum believable enough? No? Leave a review with some feedback!<strong>


	17. Realizations

**I'm back to a short chapter every week instead of long every two weeks. (:**

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><p><span>Chapter 17: Realizations<span>

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><p>The first thought when I came to consciousness was that it was Saturday. The late morning sun slanted into my room through the venetian blinds and I felt warm and relaxed.<p>

Then the memory of the previous night hit me and I reached for my phone. It wasn't Saturday. It was twelve noon on a Wednesday. A school day.

"You have… thirteen new messages," announced a pleasant female voice. I pressed the cell phone to my ear. "First new message. 'Susan, we need to talk. Can you please call me back when you get this?'" Seamus' voice was cut off and overly-calm-cellphone-girl came back. "Press one to repeat message. Press two to go to next-" I jabbed two with my thumb.

Cassie. "Susan, where are you? You're not doing anything stupid, right? Haha, just kidding. But seriously, we've looked all over school for you. The dance has been over for an hour already. Call back ASAP."

Seamus again. "Susan, please pick up the phone. I need to talk to you."

Bree. "I'm getting worried. If the people who might have kidnapped Susan are listening to this, please don't hurt her. I have, like, twenty dollars of allowance for ransom."

Cassie. "We're going back to Bree's house, okay? It's getting late and the janitor's locking everything up."

Cassie. "Are you with Seamus? We did a head count and he's missing, too. Call back so I'll know you're safe."

Seamus. "Hey, just thought I'd let you know that I'm camping out on your porch until you'll talk to me."

Seamus. "Strike that. Your mom called my mom and made me go home. See you in school tomorrow?"

Bree. "Omg, what happened? Seamus just called to let us know you're okay. Why'd you leave the dance early? You could've at least said bye!"

Bree, sounding a little gentler. "Oh, Susan, I'm so sorry. Just found out about what happened after a lengthy interrogation with Seamus. Don't worry, I yelled at him for you. Call me if you want to talk.

Cassie. "Seamus got what was coming to him. Talk to you at school tomorrow? I've got to go to sleep now."

Seamus. "I'm really, really sorry. Please pick up? No? Fine, I'm coming to your house after school whether you like it or not."

Bree. "You're just late, right? You're not actually skipping school because of, you know. We're all waiting for you on the front steps."

Bree, in a static-filled whisper. "Wow, so you did skip school. Call-" There was a scuffling sound and I thought I heard a teacher issue a detention before the message ended.

"You have no new messages." I dropped the phone into the drawer of my nightstand and was about to shut it when it started ringing.

Reluctantly, I answered. "Hello?"

"Susan! I thought you'd never pick up!" Cassie exclaimed. "Bree tried to call and got her phone taken away. Wait a minute, Diana wants to talk to you. Gods, girl, why don't you go get a phone?" "Monsters, remember?" Diana shot back. There was rustling as the phone changed hands. If I closed my eyes, I could imagine the three of them squeezed into the tight space between the salad bar and the wall, the only spot in the cafeteria the teachers overlooked.

"We're coming to your house at three," Diana said when she managed to retrieve Cassie's iPhone.

"Don't," I said quickly. "Seamus is coming then. I'll meet you guys later." Someone knocked on the door to my room. "See you then." I hung up and shoved the phone under my pillow just as my mum came in.

"I made an executive decision to let you skip school today, but don't start expecting it too often." She sat on the edge of my bed. "How're you feeling?"

"Awful. And it's all _her_ fault."

"I honestly don't know why you always have to hate her so much. She wants the best for you."

"Except when she bashes Harry Potter."

"She grew up in a different world; you have to see that." My mum sighed. "She was raised to be strictly religious and intolerant of change. When I got my first part-time job in college, she was horrified. 'Women belong in the home, raising their children, not out and about.' Thank goodness she'll be gone in a month."

I sat quietly. "You didn't like her either, did you?" An uncomfortable feeling settles over me and I can't help but be ashamed. I thought I was the only one suffering because of _her_. Was I really too selfish to see that my mom was keeping her frustration carefully hidden? Did I realize how whiny I seemed to my friends?

"She's in her room. Maybe you should go talk to her." My mum kissed me on the head, which she hadn't done since I was eight, and disappeared. I heard her footsteps stop for a moment at the end of the hall before continuing on down the stairs.


	18. Try

Chapter 18: Try

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><p>Merrill was in her room, carefully folding all her fussy pink sweaters and tucking them into her suitcase.<p>

"Hello," she said in a strained voice, not meeting my eyes.

"Er, hi," I replied.

Silence. Flowered lavender skirt. Smooth, fold, tuck. Carnation pink hat.

I quietly watched her hands arrange the sea of fabric.

Then we both blurted out at the same time, "I'm so sorry."

I opened my mouth to elaborate, but she started talking first. "I thought I was doing what was best for you, I really did. I had five sons, and zero daughters. So I tried to force all my ideas of the perfect lady on your mother, my niece. And apparently I've done that to you, too. I had no idea it hurt you so much."

I paused. "I never told you?"

"Not until last night. If you had even mentioned how much it bothered you, I would have stopped," she promised earnestly.

"Then I'm sorry, too," I said. "I shouldn't have said all those things last night. But you have to understand how much I love Harry Potter. It's not because it's evil or full of dark magic. It's a clever story that's all about bravery and friendship and love over all."

"I still don't agree with that," she said, choosing her words carefully. "Just because it has good in it doesn't mean there's no bad in it. At any rate, I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. If you'll excuse me, I must finish packing. I have a flight to catch tonight."

For the first time, I realized what the suitcase was for. "You're leaving?"

She shrugged. "My ankle's perfectly healed."

_What are you doing?_ I screamed to myself in my mind. _You've waited for this moment for forever!_

Instead, I said, "Can you do me one last favor? Please?"

"Anything, dear," she said, looking guilty still.

"Wait here." I ran back to my room and found my first edition U.K. copy of The Philosopher's Stone. Returning to her room, I pressed it into her hands. "Can you please read this?"

She read the title and flinched, but didn't hurl it out the window, which she clearly wanted to do from the expression on her face. "Honey, I can't-"

"Please," I pleaded. "If you finish the whole thing and don't like it, you can stop. No harm done."

"Fine."

She set the book on her bed, but I didn't leave the room.

"Have it your way, then." She huffed and opened the book to start reading. And didn't stop. After about ten minutes, once I was sure she was absorbed in the first chapter, I slipped out of the room. One down, one to go.


	19. All Was Well

Chapter 19: All Was Well

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><p>Without anything else to do, I went back to my room.<p>

I was just about to throw up the sash (that sounds weird) of my window when I caught a glimpse of my reflection.

GAAAHH!

Oh my Rowling. I thought I was a Boggart.

My eyeliner from last night was smudged- no, _smeared_, giving me that oh-so-gorgeous raccoon eyes look.

And my hair… even Hermione's bushy brown mane didn't hold a candle to how I looked.

My eyes refocused to movement on the sidewalk below.

Oh, and Seamus was cruising down the street on his bike.

Have I mentioned that fate and I are most absolutely best pals?

With frightening speed and agility, I leapt towards my dresser, yanked a brush through my tangles, and changed out of my pajamas as the doorbell rang.

Screw stairs. I slid sideways down the polished banister and arrived just in time to open the door with a sweet smile on my face. "Good morning. How can I help you?"

Seamus hid a smile. "You're feeling better, then?"

"I got You-Know-Who to read Harry Potter," I said, leaning against the doorframe and adding quickly, "but that doesn't matter. I'm sorry about last night."

"Me too."

Pause.

I pretended to cough. "Well, this is awkward."

"It is," he agreed. Another pause. "How about we pretend this never happened?"

"Okay."

More pausing. Why is my life so awkward? Is there a spell to break awkward silences? Can you Vanish them? Silence is nothing, right? Can you Vanish nothing? Or not nothing, but an absence of something. Isn't that what nothing is? Sweet Merlin, Susan, please shut up.

And then I was in his arms, hugging and crying and smiling.

"I'm sorry," I bit back more tears. "I was so selfish, wasn't I? I never thought you might not want to listen to me. I'm so sorry."

"You're so stupid sometimes," he whispered exasperatedly, his lips right next to my ear. "I'm the one that's supposed to be saying sorry. It's all my fault. You have enough problems with your great aunt without me turning against you, too."

I rested my head on his chest. "I don't want to ever fight again."

"Alright, I promise we won't."

"Make an Unbreakable Vow." I let go of him and reached for my wand.

"But then you're never going to let me argue with you again!" He joked. "How about I promise that we'll always be friends, no matter what? Even if we have a fight, one of us will try to make up?"

"Good enough," I decided.

It turned out to be better than good enough.

Seamus still felt guilty, so he came with me to the Ministry of Magic concert at the library downtown. We had a great time, even though I kept telling myself over and over in my head that it wasn't a date.

By the time I came home for dinner, Merrill was halfway through The Philosopher's Stone. She asked if she could borrow not just the first but also the second and third for the plane ride home. I agreed.

A few weeks later, a package came in the mail for me. She had mailed my books back, along with a ticket for Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. But not just any part of Universal Studios. I was going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

She-Who-Now-Loves-Harry-Potter was waiting for me in the humid Florida air as I stepped off the plane. Without hesitation, I ran forward and hugged her. She was startled for a moment, and then hugged me back.

She looked ten years younger as we started talking about all the things we had to remember to do at the theme park.

She didn't comment on my frayed, unladylike cutoffs, but she gushed over my new Ravenclaw Prefect badge.

She didn't tell me to stand up straighter, but she laughed as airport security tried to tell me my wand could be potentially hazardous.

She wasn't uptight Great Aunt Merrill anymore.

She was my friend.

All was well.

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><p><strong>And they lived happily ever after... the end. Haha. Thanks to everyone for sticking with me this far. Next chapter will be acknowledgements and one last outtake. Ask me questions in the reviews and I promise I'll try to answer all of them.<strong>

**Also, there's a poll on my profile: Do you want another Confessions of the Obsessed? Head on over there to vote.**


	20. Thanks

**I don't have a list of all my reviewers, but I'm sure you guys know how much I love you.**

**Right now, there might not be another Confessions of the Obsessed. I'll decide for sure this fall and announce it on my profile page.**

**Until then, go ahead and read my other stories.**

**Thank you all,  
>~daughterofathena7 <strong>


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